HAMILL WINS WILD SPEEDWAY CYCLE MAIN AT INDUSTRY AUG. 8, 2012
By noderel:
Industry, CA., Aug. 8 – All four 500cc Division 1 riders in the speedway cycle main event Wednesday at Industry Speedway had won features at the Industry Hills Expo Center Grand Arena track this season. It figured to be the most competitive D-1 feature of the year. What followed was the wildest race this season. It took four starts before they completed the first lap. At the checkered flag two-time World Champion Billy Hamill, of Carlsbad, won his seventh main event at Industry this season. The starting lineup from inside to outside was Hamill, Charlie Venegas, Tyson Burmeister and Buck Blair.
Referee Bryan Galvin aborted the first green light. He ruled Hamill and Venegas were jostling elbows/straddling lanes. He canceled the second green light, ruled Venegas had anticipated the green and penalized him five yards behind the starting gate. The third green light resulted in a quick red light after Hamill's cycle shot from the inside to outside of the track as the four riders entered the first turn. Hamill's cycle struck the left side of Blair's mount. Blair launched over the front of his cycle and landed chest/shoulder first on the track. He remained motionless for several minutes while catching his breath. He eventually walked to the starting line for the restart.
Hamill said his cycle bogged down on the reworked entry to the first turn and wouldn't turn left. The front wheel turned right and his cycle shot across the track into Blair's cycle. Their rides became entangled briefly and caused Hamill's leg injury. The fourth green light was successful. Hamill led all four laps over Burmeister, who trailed by five yards at the checkered flag. Blair, although sore, held off Venegas for third position. Afterward, Hamill and Blair were still sore as they walked in the pits.
During trophy presentations, Hamill received the usual first place award, plus all $216 of the 50/50 drawing that the fan-share winner donated to the D-1 feature winner. Jason Ramirez led all four laps in the D-1 consolation race and earned $100. The 500cc support division combined D-2 and D-3 riders and Eloy Medellin, of Garden Grove, won that trophy. He shot from lane three between two riders in the second turn to the lead and paced all four laps. With six 1,000cc sidecar teams present, the top four teams in points after heat races competed in a four clockwise laps race with Chris Jones, of Aliso Viejo, and his sidecar rider Johnny Glover in the lead comfortably all the way. The No. 007 team of Dual Anderson and Ethan Smith placed second in a tight three-way duel with No. 66 and No. 22 teams. Winner Jones stopped in turn four and cartwheeled six times across the finish line to celebrate.
Broc Nicol, 15, won the 4-lap Youth 250cc main over Kurtis Hamill. Braydan Galvin, 14, started 50-yards from the starting gate, took the lead on lap 3 and won the 5-lap Youth 200cc main over early leader Sebastian Palmese. First year rider Jake Troutt, 4, upset 50cc pee-wee division second year racer Luke Whitcomb, 6, after leading all four laps. Troutt started at the gate and Whitcomb 50-yards back. Whitcomb had won seven consecutive pee-wee mains on his No. 27 mini cycle.
A special “Last of the Mohicans, Last Man Out Challenge Race” was event 19 of the 36 race evening. It has $200 cash on the line from two fans known as “the Mohicans”. Eddie Castro won the race and collected $150 over runner-up and lap 2 leader Steve Russell, who took home $50 after their two-rider, two lap dash. Eliminated after the first lap was fourth place Tim Gomez. P. 3 Russell Green went to the pits after lap 2. Next week round 11 of 13 will be another Harley Night.